The Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI) has suspended the licence of tainted former MCI chief Ketan Desai, a council official said on Sunday.The MCI announced the suspension in a letter to Desai on Saturday, ending speculation surrounding his proposed visit to Canada to represent India in a World Medical Association (WMA) conference from October 13 to 16.“In view of the grave and serious allegations against you having a prima facie merit, permission granted to you to practice medicine be suspended during the pendency of appeal/complaint with the Board of Governors in Supersession of Medical Council of India,” the letter from the board said.This would debar “you from practicing medicine and participating as a doctor in a medical conference anywhere representing doctors in any medical council, conference and association”, it said. The MCI decision came after an application by Kunal Saha, president of an association of physicians, People for Better Treatment, demanding that Desai be stopped from taking part in the Canada conference and his licence be cancelled. The letter highlighted that the Gujarat Medical Council did not respond to Saha’s appeal on Desai’s involvement in corruption cases.“He (Saha) has also stated in his appeal that the Medical Council of Gujarat has not responded to his complaint as you (Desai) are the president of the Gujarat Medical Council and he (Saha) has apprehensions that he will not get justice from the Medical Council of Gujarat,” the letter said.Desai was removed from his post of MCI chief and the body was replaced by the board of governors in May after he was arrested for taking Rs. 2 crore as bribe for giving recognition to a medical college in Punjab.Saha had also written to the conference organisers, who sought documentary evidence to bar Desai from attending the meet.